Taylorklavsen3982

Cell counting and characterization is fundamental for medicine, science and technology. Coulter-type microfluidic devices are effective and automated systems for cell/particle analysis, based on the electrical sensing zone principle. However, their throughput and accuracy are limited by coincidences (i.e., two or more particles passing through the sensing zone nearly simultaneously), which reduce the observed number of particles and may lead to errors in the measured particle properties. In this work, a novel approach for coincidence resolution in microfluidic impedance cytometry is proposed.

The approach relies on (i) a microchannel comprising two electrical sensing zones and (ii) a model of the signals generated by coinciding particles. Maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) estimation is used to identify the model parameters and therefore characterize individual particle properties.

Quantitative performance assessment on synthetic data streams shows a counting sensitivity of 97% and a positive predictive value of 99% at concentrations of 2×10

particles/ml. An application to red blood cell analysis shows accurate particle characterization up to a throughput of about 2500particles/s. Sodium palmitate mw An original formula providing the expected number of coinciding particles is derived, and good agreement is found between experimental results and theoretical predictions.

The proposed cytometer enables the decomposition of signals generated by coinciding particles into individual particle contributions, by using a Bayesian approach.

This system can be profitably used in applications where accurate counting and characterization of cell/particle suspensions over a broad range of concentrations is required.

This system can be profitably used in applications where accurate counting and characterization of cell/particle suspensions over a broad range of concentrations is required.

Atrial flutter (AFl) is a common arrhythmia that can be categorized according to different self-sustained electrophysiological mechanisms. The non-invasive discrimination of such mechanisms would greatly benefit ablative methods for AFl therapy as the driving mechanisms would be described prior to the invasive procedure, helping to guide ablation. In the present work, we sought to implement recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) on 12-lead ECG signals from a computational framework to discriminate different electrophysiological mechanisms sustaining AFl.

20 different AFl mechanisms were generated in 8 atrial models and were propagated into 8 torso models via forward solution, resulting in 1,256 sets of 12-lead ECG signals. Principal component analysis was applied on the 12-lead ECGs, and six RQA-based features were extracted from the most significant principal component scores in two different approaches individual component RQA and spatial reduced RQA.

In both approaches, RQA-based features were significantly sensitive to the dynamic structures underlying different AFl mechanisms. Hit rate as high as 67.7% was achieved when discriminating the 20 AFl mechanisms. RQA-based features estimated for a clinical sample suggested high agreement with the results found in the computational framework.

RQA has been shown an effective method to distinguish different AFl electrophysiological mechanisms in a non-invasive computational framework. A clinical 12-lead ECG used as proof of concept showed the value of both the simulations and the methods.

The non-invasive discrimination of AFl mechanisms helps to delineate the ablation strategy, reducing time and resources required to conduct invasive cardiac mapping and ablation procedures.

The non-invasive discrimination of AFl mechanisms helps to delineate the ablation strategy, reducing time and resources required to conduct invasive cardiac mapping and ablation procedures.

Intraoperative palpation is a surgical gesture jeopardized by the lack of haptic feedback which affects robotic minimally invasive surgery. Restoring the force reflection in teleoperated systems may improve both surgeons' performance and procedures' outcome.

A force-based sensing approach was developed, based on a cable-driven parallel manipulator with anticipated seamless and low-cost integration capabilities in teleoperated robotic surgery. No force sensor on the end-effector is used, but tissue probing forces are estimated from measured cable tensions. A user study involving surgical trainees (n = 22) was conducted to experimentally evaluate the platform in two palpation-based test-cases on silicone phantoms. Two modalities were compared visual feedback alone and both visual + haptic feedbacks available at the master site.

Surgical trainees' preference for the modality providing both visual and haptic feedback is corroborated by both quantitative and qualitative metrics. Hard nodules detection sensiterative palpation to clinical practice could improve the detection and dissection of cancer nodules.Behavioral interventions have embraced social norms as information that can be communicated in simple messages to motivate behavior change. This article argues for the value and necessity of recognizing that social-norm interventions are grounded in group processes. This approach has three major benefits that more than offset the costs of its greater theoretical and practical complexity. One, it improves the effectiveness of existing interventions, including those that target the normative beliefs of individuals. Two, it opens up new intervention strategies that broaden the range of mechanisms used to change behavior. Three, it connects research on social-norm interventions with theories and research on rallies, rebellions, riots, and other forms of collective action.

The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of patients in terms of eating and consequences in everyday life in the first year after oesophageal cancer surgery.

Thirteen patients participated in qualitative interviews one year after surgery for oesophageal cancer. Descriptions capturing the meaning of the lived experiences of patients were then derived from subsequent analysis and interpretation of the interviews. A phenomenological hermeneutical approach comprised the epistemological stance, and theoretical perspectives were drawn from Schutz' theory of everyday life.

Patient descriptions of their experiences with food, eating and everyday life in the first year after oesophageal cancer surgery fell into four themes Adjusting to a different anatomy - food and eating as a dominant and difficult activity; changed body - food and eating as an underlying shadow; feeling different - social consequences of changed eating; a nutritional jungle - guidance and support in an uncertain time.

The physical and social consequences of oesophageal cancer resection upend everyday structures, requiring patients to adopt a new, conscious and reflexive approach to food and eating as a social activity.